


A single grain of rice can tip the scale

by silvermoongirl10



Series: The difference between victory and defeat [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives are Twins, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo Needs a Hug, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo gets a hug, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Gets some Sense Knocked into Him, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex is a Good Bro, Fives being self-sacrificing, Fives only wanting what's best for Echo, Gen, Rex not letting his Domino ARC twins get seperated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29201274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermoongirl10/pseuds/silvermoongirl10
Summary: 'Fives felt his stomach twist, a part of him never wanted to see he and his twin separated. However, looking at how Echo got along with the Bad Batch, he couldn’t help but feel that Echo would do amazingly well with the team. And perhaps it was time for him to stop being so selfish and let his brother go.'(Set during the Clone Wars.)
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-7567 | Rex
Series: The difference between victory and defeat [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065761
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	A single grain of rice can tip the scale

**Author's Note:**

> I am changing the canon timeline slightly so the Bad Batch are not introduced so late into the war.

A month after the battle of Umbara and the whole situation with Krell, and things in the 501st were finally beginning to settle back to normal. Well, as normal as the 501st ever were. Fives had watched as Echo recovered from his wound and began expanding on his technical skills, something that made Fives even more impressed with his twin. Echo already had an impressive memory and a great skill of creating and implementing battle tactics, so now to him it was just amazing watching as his brother began to believe in himself more.

One thing that Fives didn’t quite like about Echo’s growing technical skills was how Commanders in different battalions saw how Echo was as an ARC Trooper and would try and convince Echo to transfer out of the 501st. Fives had lost count the number of times he and Echo would finish a mission with a different battalion and the Commanders would come up and ask if Echo would like to be permanently reassigned to their unit. Thankfully Echo said no every time. But there were some impressive units in the GAR and Fives was always concerned that one would catch his twin’s eye and Echo would transfer.

For example, the Bad Batch. Fives had been sent off on a different mission, leaving Jesse and Echo to go on a mission with the Bad Batch. When they all got back to the Resolute, Fives looked at the easy way in which his twin got on with the Bad Batch and he noticed how the defective clones, who were well known for not getting along with anyone, were all laughing and joking with Echo. He overheard Tech talking to Echo about some of the tech he was trying to design to help the ARCs and Troopers and Tech was evidently impressed, he was even giving Echo some pointers.

Fives felt his stomach twist, a part of him never wanted to see he and his twin separated. However, looking at how Echo got along with the Bad Batch, he couldn’t help but feel that Echo would do amazingly well with the team. And perhaps it was time for him to stop being so selfish and let his brother go. With that thought he turned away and started to walk back to the bunkroom he shared with Echo, part of him wondering for how much longer he would share the room with his twin.

* * *

Echo frowned as he turned and realised Fives was no longer in the hanger of the Resolute. He made to go to his bunkroom, presuming that was Fives had gone. But he was stopped when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned and faced Hunter, noticing the other clone was staring at him in thought.

“I have a question for you Echo,” stated Hunter.

“Okay…” replied Echo in confusion, as he watched as the rest of the Bad Batch came to stand behind Hunter, unreadable looks on their faces.

“How would you feel about permanently transferring to our team?”

Wait. _What?_

* * *

When Fives decided to go to the mess for dinner, all he could hear in the corridors was other brothers murmuring amongst themselves in shock and awe. _‘Did you hear? The Bad Batch offered Echo a spot on their team?’_

The words rang in his ears and his chest began to feel tight. So, it had happened. While he had not heard of what Echo had said in response, he knew his twin was going to go with them. Jesse had said how well Echo had worked with them and how easily Echo became a part of the team. Oh, he knew Echo wouldn’t officially say yes until he had spoken to Fives, that was just the type of person he was. But Fives knew Echo would want to go with them and he resolved himself to not holding his brother back.

So, as he was eating his dinner, Echo sat down opposite him, his own dinner tray held anxiously. Fives just smiled up at his twin the best he could, he knew his smile wouldn’t look real to Echo, but he was trying his best.

“Fives?” asked Echo as he looked up from his tray and frowned him.

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Fives said as evenly as he could. “So, I hear congratulations are in order.”

Echo seemed to think about what had been said and then Fives saw the moment it clicked. Echo shrugged, “Hunter only asked, I didn’t say I would join them.”

“You should,” stated Fives as calmly as he could. Letting his face go blank as he tried to hide how much the idea of Echo leaving hurt.

“What?” Echo breathed out, his brown eyes wide and his hands slightly trembling where they rested on the table.

“You should join the Bad Batch,” repeated Fives as he shrugged nonchalantly. “Jesse was saying how well you worked with them. So, it would make sense for you to go with them.”

Fives watched as Echo just sat silently in shock and then murmured, “you want me to go. What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me,” smiled Fives. “I’ve got Jesse and Kix to keep me in line while you’re off saving the galaxy.” He then scooped up the last of his food and then waved at Echo as he stood up to leave the mess. Knowing at any second he would break down and beg Echo to stay.

As he left, he didn’t notice two things.

The first, he didn’t see Echo’s broken expression as he just stared at his food, not making a move to eat it.

The second, he didn’t see Rex shaking his head as he went to sit beside Echo. Offering comfort to the now, clearly lost, ARC Trooper.

* * *

Echo just sat in the mess, all sights and sounds faded away as he just stared down at his dinner tray, feeling completely numb. He felt his hands begin to shake and his stomach churned. Fives didn’t need him, didn’t _want_ him around anymore. Why would he? Jesse and Kix were great brothers and Fives didn’t need to worry about them nearly as much as he did for Echo. Perhaps it would be better for Fives if he did join the Bad Batch?

As this question swirled in his head, he didn’t notice as Rex came and sat beside him. He only reacted when a comforting arm was slung over his shoulders. He turned to see the concerned look on Rex’s face and couldn’t even bring himself to pretend everything was alright. Because it wasn’t. He and Fives had spent their entire lives together, only apart for the odd mission.

“Fives didn’t mean what he said,” stated Rex firmly.

Echo turned away from his Captain’s gaze and felt his shoulders hunch forwards. “Seemed like he meant it.” He stared off at the metal wall in front of him, trying to forget the last five minutes had happened.

Rex shook Echo’s shoulder harshly. “He was saying what he thought _you_ wanted to hear.”

“ _He_ brought it up. I’m still in shock at the offer, but its clear Fives doesn’t want or need me around. As he said, he’s got Jesse and Kix. What does he need me for?” hissed Echo between his gritted teeth, he just wanted Rex to drop the subject so he could go and lick his wounds in peace. And pack his bags. His world was crumbling beneath his feet and he couldn’t stop it.

“ _That_ is _not_ true,” snapped Rex, keeping his voice low so no one else would overhear them in the mess. Thankfully most of their brothers were gathered on the other side of the large room. “Even if it was. Fives should not be the one deciding where _you_ want to go.” Rex sat up a little and forced Echo to look him in the eye. “Now listen to me very carefully. _You_ need to decide where _you_ want to be Echo. Don’t get me wrong, I _want_ you to stay with the 501st, you are someone I can _always_ rely on to tip the battle in our favour with your skills. But this isn’t about me. It isn’t even about Fives. You need to think about where you _want_ to be.” Rex then pushed himself to his feet and pointed at Echo’s dinner tray. “And make sure you eat something.”

With that Echo was left watching as Rex left the mess, his brain working overtime as he absorbed his Captain’s words. Thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of each choice. He then nodded to himself, his mind set. Then he turned back to his dinner and forced himself to eat, all the while wondering, what was Fives going to say?

* * *

Rather than return to his bunkroom, where he was sure if he waited long enough, he would have to endure watching Echo pack his bag and leave. For good. So, instead he headed to the training room and decided to find a punching bag to take out his feelings on.

He hadn’t been punching the bag for long until he felt a hand tightly grasp his shoulder and he was spun around to face who he realised was Rex. “What?” he ground out between his gritted teeth. Assuming Rex was coming to tell him Echo was transferring out.

“You are a _hut'uun_ ,” hissed Rex, his face thunderous in his anger.

“Take that back!” shouted Fives as he shoved Rex away from him. He was already hurting; he didn’t need Rex calling him a coward.

“Truth hurts doesn’t it?” taunted Rex as he shoved Fives back hard enough that Fives felt his back hit the punching bag, the only thing keeping him on his feet. “I thought you cared about Echo?”

“I do!”

Rex’s nostrils flared in his anger and his eyes narrowed as he shook Fives so hard, he swore his teeth rattled. “Then why are you playing mind games with him?”

“Because I want what’s best for him!” exploded Fives, feeling his eyes sting. “He’s brilliant at what he does! And working with the Bad Batch is the type of work he always dreamed of when we were Cadets! I don’t want to hold him back!”

The anger drained out of Rex and he just looked at Fives as he shook his head with a sigh. “Then why make him think you don’t want or need him around? You’re his ori’vod and he _hates_ working different missions to you. So, why do you think he would want to be permanently transferred away?”

Fives sucked in a deep breath. “Because I’m his ori’vod I have to look out for him. And if that means pushing him away so he can do what he’s always wanted, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Rex crossed his arms and frowned at Fives in disappointment. “So, you’re just going to make Echo feel like he’s nothing to you, easily replaceable? Because he said to me, now you’ve got Jesse and Kix you don’t need him anymore. For someone who only wants the best for his twin, you’ve got a funny way of showing it by basically pushing him out of the airlock.”

Dropping his head, Fives looked down at his feet, the tight feeling in his chest coming back. He sucked in a breath and looked up at Rex with wide eyes. “I don’t want him to go alright? But I don’t want to hold him back!”

“Then _that_ is what you should have said to him! Not what you did!” exclaimed Rex in exasperation as he reached forward to shake Fives’s shoulders. “If he decides to join the Bad Batch now, it won’t be because he _wants_ to. It will because he thinks you _want_ him to leave.”

With a dawning sense of horror, Fives realised what he said and Echo heard were two different things. While he didn’t want Echo to stay just because he was worried about Fives, he didn’t explain it that way. In trying to do the best for Echo and protect himself, he basically telling Echo that he could leave because Fives would be fine with Jesse and Kix, that Fives wouldn’t miss him at all.

“ _Osik!_ ” he cursed. Fives brushed past Rex and ran out of the training room and sprinted down the corridors towards their bunkroom, hoping that would be where Echo was.

His heart was pounding and his blood roared in his ears as he pushed past his brothers, ignoring Jesse calling after him. He finally reached their bunkroom and once the door slid open, Fives skidded to a halt and observed Echo sat on his bunk staring off into the distance, his armour a pile on the end of his bed.

“Echo?” Fives asked softly as he slowly approached his twin. He repressed a flinch when Echo’s blank brown eyes turned to look at him. Fives knelt at his brother’s feet and rested his hands on Echo’s knees. “Vod’ika. N'eparavu takisit.”

“Why are you sorry?” Echo murmured as he looked down at Fives’s face. “You said what you felt. You want me to go.”

“ _No!_ ” argued Fives desperately, his hands gripping the knees of Echo’s blacks as he shook his head desperately. “I _don’t_ want you to go!”

“But…you said…” frowned Echo in confusion.

“I didn’t want you to stay just because I’m staying with the 501st,” commented Fives his voice cracking. “I know you’ve always wanted to work with a team like the Bad Batch, and I didn’t want to hold you back.”

Echo bowed his head as he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And you couldn’t have just said that? Instead of making me think you didn’t want your annoying vod’ika around anymore?”

“I will _always_ want my annoying vod’ika around,” smiled Fives, relieved to see Echo beginning to smile as well. “But I want my annoying vod’ika to _choose_ where he wants to go.”

“You can stop calling me annoying,” drawled Echo with a roll of his eyes. Fives held his hands up in surrender and let Echo pull him up to sit on the bed beside his twin. “And I made my decision.”

After a paused so he could collect himself, making sure a genuine smile was on his face. Fives asked, “and?”

Echo rested a hand on Fives’s shoulder. “I am staying here with the 501st. But I did tell Hunter that if he ever needed another pair of hands, I am always willing to help them out.”

“ _Oh, thank the Force_ ,” sighed Fives in relief as he let his head drop so it rested on Echo’s shoulder. He ignored how his head jolted up and down as Echo’s shoulders moved as his twin laughed.

“You di’kut,” said Echo fondly. “You utter di’kut.”

Fives didn’t even try and argue with his brother. He was a di’kut for letting his brother think for a second that he wanted him to leave. But thanks to Rex, everything was as it should be. Fives smiled as he felt Echo hug him and he hugged his twin in response. Glad that on his occasion he could be selfish and keep his twin with him.

**Author's Note:**

> hut'uun - coward (worst possible insult)  
> shabuir - extreme insult - *jerk*, but much stronger  
> osik - dung (impolite)  
> N'eparavu takisit - sorry (lit: I eat my insult)  
> ori'vod - older brother  
> vod'ika - little brother


End file.
